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Western Wynde Mass

Introduction

In 1528, two years after his arrival in Oxford, Taverner was deemed to be over-sympathetic towards Lutheran doctrine. Fortunately for Taverner, then as now, the Director of Music at an Oxford college is viewed as a person whose political opinions are of little concern to the powers that be. And so, because Taverner was ‘but a musician’, he escaped sentence. But Lutheran sympathies had a tangible influence on the composition of Taverner’s Western Wynde Mass. Unlike the parody Mass Missa Mater Christi sanctissima, the Western Wynde Mass is based not upon polyphony but on a single-line melody. Moreover, where the model for the Missa Mater Christi sanctissima is devoutly religious, the tune on which the Western Wynde Mass is based has a text which is overtly secular:

Western wind, when will thou blow: The small rain down can rain; Christ, if my love were in my arms And I in my bed again!

It is easy to see how Roman Catholic dignity might have been offended by Taverner’s liturgical reliance on a tune whose well-known text was so indecorous. On the other hand, the famous Lutheran cry of ‘Why should the devil have all the best tunes?’ (although Luther himself never wrote those words) was never so apt as in the composition of the Western Wynde Mass. The song itself is rhythmically sprightly, its melody catchy, and its Dorian melody (with its bold minor third and taut minor seventh) compositionally fecund. That John Sheppard and Christopher Tye—two giants of the mid-Tudor period—should each follow Taverner’s lead in using ‘Western wind’ as a model for a four-voice polyphonic Mass setting says almost as much about the structural agility of the tune itself as about Taverner’s immense reputation as a composer. Taverner deploys the ‘Western wind’ tune twenty-one times in the treble voice, ten times in the tenor, five times in the bass, and never in the alto (Tye’s setting, by contrast, uses the tune exclusively in the alto voice—a clear homage to Taverner). The wonder of Taverner’s setting (as indeed of Sheppard’s and Tye’s later settings) is that the many repetitions of the tune are embedded so deeply within inspired polyphonic composition that the repetitive nature provides musical coherence rather than boredom or irritation. Indeed, the most inspired moment in the Mass occurs at the beginning of the Sanctus, where Taverner uses the same rising-scale motif five times over in the bass part while the ‘Western wind’ tune unfolds overhead. That this occurs at the heart of the Mass underlines just how confidently virtuosic a composer Taverner was. The more technical constraints Taverner placed on himself, the more effective his music became. In that sense Taverner mirrors the aesthetic achievement of composers such as Bach, Haydn and Stravinsky, and frequently proves himself to be much more than a clever writer of church music on demand.

Recordings

Two undisputed choral masterpieces from the reign of Henry VIII by one of the greatest English composers. Westminster Abbey Choir and eminent Master of the Choristers James O’Donnell bring a unique authority to this repertoire.» More

'A definitive performance of this glorious work … superbly recorded' (Classic CD)'Singing, engineering, notes, texts, translations all conform to the high standard set on this label' (Fanfare, USA)» More

When The Sixteen embarked upon their recording career back in 1982, few would have been able to predict quite how far they would go towards rehabilitating the little-known music of these four master composers of the 16th century. In this their 30t ...» More

"The Renaissance is well known for its cultural giants. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and above all Michelangelo epitomize a period when the human spirit seemed to grow and gain in confidence. This collection of complete works celebrates the musical ...» More

"Of all the polyphony we have recorded, this early English style with its dazzling high treble parts and luminous sonorities is, for me, as good as it gets. Henry VIII would have known this sound from childhood and may well have included some of t ...» More

The classic 1984 recording of John Taverner's Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas, 'Leroy' Kyrie and Dum transisset Sabbatum was made in Merton College Chapel, Oxford, and is combined here with the 1993 recording of his Western Wind Mass that was made in S ...» More

The Western Wynde Masses of Taverner, Tye and Sheppard make a unique set. Not only was there no other example in English Renaissance music of a linked series of Mass compositions by different composers, there was also no precedent in English compo ...» More

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God the Father. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world; receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father; have mercy on us. For you alone are holy. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God the Father. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world; receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father; have mercy on us. For you alone are holy. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God the Father. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world; receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father; have mercy on us. For you alone are holy. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory. Lord God, king of heaven, God the Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.

You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you only are holy. You only are Lord. You only are most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory. Lord God, king of heaven, God the Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Lord God, lamb of God, Son of the Father, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you only are holy. You only are Lord. You only are most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

I believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made; of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified: under Pontius Pilate he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made; of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified: under Pontius Pilate he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made; of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified: under Pontius Pilate he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all visible and invisible things. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made, of one being with the Father, through him all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven.

And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, and was made man. He was also crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, he died and was buried. And on the third day he rose again according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven: he sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end.

And I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all visible and invisible things. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, and was made man. He was also crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, he died and was buried. And on the third day he rose again according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven: he sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead: there will be no end to his kingdom. And I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; grant us peace.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; grant us peace.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.